What is a Slot?

A slot is a narrow opening or gap in something, especially a machine:

A place or position in a group, sequence, or series:

An allocated time and space for an aircraft to take off or land:

The slot of a song in a recorder. A position or assignment in a hierarchy or organization:

A set of instructions to be executed, often as part of a pipeline. The term is most commonly used for microprocessors that use a very long instruction word (VLIW) model, and may also refer to the concept of a scheduler unit within a machine.

In a casino, a slot is a mechanical device that displays the number of credits available. They are typically located on a mechanical or video screen and are accompanied by high-fidelity attention-grabbing music and amusing animations. The slots also give the player a chance to win additional credits by completing a bonus round.

Many casinos resist raising the prices of their slot machines because they fear that players will detect hidden price increases by comparing the house advantage to other slots. They may also fear that a sudden increase in the house advantage will cause their slots to lose popularity. Casino managers have been known to use various tactics to disguise price increases, including introducing new games or reducing the frequency of certain symbols on the reels. This is a form of false advertising and is illegal in the U.K. and other countries.